Wire forming machines



March 29, 1960 HOERN 2,930,412

WIRE FORMING MACHINES Filed June 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I7 ENTOR.

FIG. I

ATTORNEYS March 29; 1960 J. H. HOERN WIRE FORMING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1955 INVENTOR. 2 315.- m

FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS w March 29, 1960 J. H. HOERN WIRE FORMING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 28. 1955 ATTORNEYS J. H. HOERN WIRE FORMING MACHINES March 29, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 28, 1955 4 INVENTOR. JOSEPH H. HOERN ATTORNEYS.

WIRE FORMING MACHINES Joseph H. Hoern, Saginaw, Mich, assignor to Saginaw Wire Products Inc, Saginaw, Iviich.

Application June 28, 1955, Serial No. 518,618

Claims. (Cl. 140-71) This invention relates to Wire bending machines and more particularly to an improved machine which is capable of bending heavier stock than are conventional machines which employ the same power.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a novel and improved, high production, wire bending machine for performing certain diverse and complex bending operations on the relatively long and heavy wires which are extensively used in widely diverse lengths in automobile seat fabricating and allied industries.

Another object of the invention is to design a machine of the character described in which the bending is progressively effected in an easy and natural manner without deforming or fracturing the wire at the points of bend or creating undue torsional or other excessive stresses therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which exerts increased bending forces without sacrificing any of the flexibility, adjustability, or'adaptability for which machines of applicants design are well known.

Another object of the invention is to design a machine providing a positive and sharp bending action which is capable of turning out precision bent wires at quantity production rates. H

A further object of the invention is. to provide a bending machine of the type described with highly novel and utilitarian means for supplying the wire to the dies, the wire lengths being moved from underneath to the bending dies in a manner which eliminates much of the diiiiculty and many of the problems occurring with conventional overhead and endwise feeding mechanisms. The mechanism to be described is further retractable to a normal position in which it does not interfere with the drop of the completed wires to a disposal conveyor or guideway under the dies, which receives the wires in orderly fashion.

Another object of the invention is to design a bending machine with an improved wire supplying mechanism which is an integral part of themachine and is operated in timed sequence with the bending slides by the same camshaft which controls the movement of the slides.

A further object of the invention is to design a wire bending machine of the character set forth in which the various elements except for the shape of the dies and dwell of the cams can be uniform in nature without limiting the wide range of bending operations which the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that equivalent changes may be made in the various elements which comprise the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended Jan. 20, 1955, now Patent No. 2,869,590, for Wire Bending Machines. The instant machine differs however, in that it is provided with novel means for increasing the bending forces which the die slides are capable of exerting and with novel means supplying wire stock to the new machine. a

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of the wire bending machine. 7

Fig. 2 is a reduced side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary,'transverse, sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 5 showing the work gripped between the die blocks and the feed arms in lowered inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the movable die blocks in retracted position and the feed arms swung upwardly to deliver a wire between the die blocks.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the completed wire as the movable die slides are about to retract simultaneously so that the wire can drop to a removal conveyor or the like therebelow.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein l have shown a preferred embodiment, of the invention a letter F generally designates the frame of the machine which is similar to that shown and described in my previously mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 482,940. The frame F comprises side walls 16 connected by lower brace rods 17 and guide rails 18 and19, the rods 17' and rails, 18 and 19 having reduced threaded extensions 17a, 18a, and 19a respectively which project through the side walls 16 so that they may be rigidly secured injposition' by nuts 20. As will later become apparent, .therai1 18 is adapted to support actuating slide housings 21 and the, rail -19 is adapted to support the forming or bending die slide housing units 22. The reciprocable actuating slides 23 in the housings 21 are controlled by cams 24 on acam shaft 25 much in the same manner as are the bending die slides in the previously mentioned application.

The cam shaft 25 is driven by a motor 26 supported on a plate 27 on the one side wall 16 as shown. Mounted on the armature shaft 26a of the motor is a drive pulley 28 and a belt 29 on the pulley drives a wheel v30 which is fixed'on a shaft 31. The Wheel 36 is flanged as at 32 to confine the belt and has an annular hand grip ring 33 provided thereon so that the wheel'may be manipu-' lated by hand as in the previous application. Supporting the shaft 31 is bearing 31a as shown in Fig. 1 and the wheel 30 is of sufficient weight to function as. a fly wheel. A gear 34 on the shaft 31 drives a gear'35 on the cam shaft 25-at the desired speed, and obviously these gears can be quickly replaced with. other gears of different diameter when it is desired to vary the speed of the shaft 25.

The wheel 30 may be formed so that band brake means identical with that shown and described in the aforementioned application may be applied thereto, however such will not be shown 'or described in the instant application sinceit forms no part of the invention.

In Fig. 1 of the instant application: an additional earn 36 is shown mounted on the right end of the cam shaft 25 and this cam serves to actuate feeding means which supplies the wires W individually to the machine in a manner which will be later described. A plurality of keyslots 38 are provided in the camshaft as before to receive the key 39, it being obvious that the cams will thus be adjustable on the cam shaft as desired.

The guide rail 18 on which the housings 21 are mounted have T-slots 40, 41, and 42 as shown, the slots 40 and 41 receiving nut members 44 which accommodate the studs 45 releasably securing the slide housings 21 in longitudinally adjusted position and the slots 42 receiving T-shaped nut members 46 which accommodate studs 47 releasably securing arms 48 in position. Pivotally mounted as at 49 on the arms 48 are bell crank members 50 which have clevis portions 51 supporting rollers 52 which ride on the earns 24 and 36.

The front end of each member 50 which is actuated by one of the cams 24, is bifurcated as at 500 and a bar 53 is pivotally supported therein as at 53a. The bars 53 extend up through slots 54 in the lower wall of each slide housing 21 and into a recess 55 in the slide 23 therein. Provided in the front marginal wall of each recess 55 is a rocker pin 56 which is slotted as at 57 to accommodate the bar 52, and a spring biased bearing member 58 is provided in a spring chamber 59 in engagement with each bar 52. Screws 60 threaded in the outer portions of the chambers 61 serve to compress springs 62 which, of course, urge the members 58 inwardly. While the elongated bars 52 are rigid members preferably constructed of steel, they will have a limited flexibility since they are supported at only one end. Provided in the bell crank sections 50 are threaded bores 63 with screws 64 therein. The screws 64 bear on studs 65 which extend into engagement with the bars 52.

Mounted on the head 23a of each slide 23 is a finger 66 which is in engagement with a hardened insert 67 carried by the lower end of each of a plurality of levers 68. The upper ends of the levers 68 are pivotally received as at 69 in upper slide housings 22 which com prise side plates 70 and 71 connected by front Walls 72. Each housing 22 is supported on the guide rail 19 which spans the side walls of the frame. A stud 73 received in a threaded T-nut 74 which is accommodated in the continuous T-slot 75, secures each housing in position, but obviously the position of the housings can be adjusted along the rail 19 when the nuts 76 are loosened.

Provided in each housing 22 forwardly of the lever 68 therein is a die slide 77 which is adapted to be engaged by an insert 78 on the said lever 68, the end of each slide 77 having a die block 79 removably fixed thereon as at 80 (Fig. 3). Opposite each block 79 is a stationary die block 81 releasably secured to the front wall 72 of the housing in any acceptable manner as by screws 82, and plainly the wire W will be held by and formed b..- tween the dies 79 and 80.

Mounted on the front ends of the side plates 71 of the end housings 22 are depending L-shaped end plates 83 (Fig. and mounted on the immediately adjoining plates 70 of the housings 22 which are next to the end housings, are work supporting magazine plates which comprise independent, spaced apart sections 84a and 84b. Together, these sections form a wire feed magazine or hopper and the plates 83 which support the sections 84a (note the studs 85 and spacers 86) serve as end plates of the hopper. The front edges of the L-shaped sections 84b are vertical as at 87 and thence curve to downwardly sloped surfaces 88, and the lower ends of the sections 84b are curvilinear as at 89. The upper ends of the angular sections 84a are inclined forwardly and upwardly so that a hopper space 90 is formed between the upper ends of the sections 84a and the edges 87. Otherwise, the rear edges of the members 84a conform to the edges 87 and 88 of the sections 84b so that single wire trackways 91 are formed therebetween. The lower ends of the sections 84a are similarly curvilinear as at 92. All of the wires in the trackways 91 save the lowermost one are retained therein by a pair of pivotally supported hook shaped feeder arms 93 whose outer ends have upper edges conforming to the edges 89 and 92. The arms 93 are fixed to a rock shaft 94 (Fig. 5) which is journaled in plates 95 extending forwardly from and supported by the walls 70 of the endmost die slide housings 22. The arms 93 each have wire receiving recesses or notches 96 which as shown in the instant drawings can accommodate only a single wire, however obviously, the notches could be deepened so as to be able to accommodate two or more superposed wires if it were desirable to supply a plurality of wires to the die blocks 79 and 81.

It will be observed that the pair of arms 93 are relatively narrow and are disposed between the housings 22. The arms are moved upwardly to feed a wire W between the die blocks 79 and 81 when the blocks 79 are in retracted position (Fig. 4). This movement is controlled by the cam 36 which as previously noted had a bell crank follower 50 riding thereon. Instead of pivotally supporting a bar 52 however, the follower 50 riding the cam 36 pivotally supports (as at 53) an elongated bar 97 which is pivotally connected at 98 to rods 99a and 99b which are rigidly joined by a turnbuckle 100. A crank arm 101 pivoted to the upper end of the rod 9% is fixed to the rock shaft 94 so as to revolve the same when the throw of the cam 36 is transmitted to the rods 99a and 9%. After the first die block 79 has moved forwardly to clamp the work against an opposite die 81, the dwell of the cam 36 permits the spring 102 to return the arms 93 to lowered position whence the notches 96 receive the next wire from the trackways 91. The rear end of the spring 102 may be secured to a plate 103 projecting laterally from the adjacent end housing 21. Cover plates 104 and 105 are provided for the housings 21 and mounted on the cover plates 105 are ears 106 to which the slide return springs 107 may be secured. The front ends of the springs 107 are, of course, fixed to ears 108 on the slides 23.

The die slides 77 are retracted as permitted by the cams 24 by springs 109 under compression which are provided between the walls 72 and the slides 77 as shown in Fig. 3. Since the levers 68 describe arcs about their pivot points 69, the slides 77 will tend to lift at the front ends thereof unless prevented from doing so and, to permit their restriction to a linear path without binding, blocks 110 are pivotally mounted as at 111 between the plates 70 and 71 of each housing 22. Since about .030" clearance is provided between the blocks 110, and the lower corners thereof are rounded off as at 112, the blocks can pivot slightly and will not bind the slides 77 while controlling their path of travel.

In operation, the cam 36 is shaped such that the arms 93 carry a new wire W up between the die blocks 79 and 81 just after the cams 24 have simultaneously permitted the blocks 81 to be withdrawn and a completed wire has dropped to a disposal rack or conveyor (not shown) below arms 93. When the arms 93 move upwardly with a wire (Fig. 4), the guide surfaces 89 prevent the wire from becoming displaced from the notches 96. While the arms 93 support the wire in position between the dies 79 and 81, one of the centrally disposed slides 77 (see the slide lettered a in Fig. 5) is first moved forwardly to bend the midportion of the wire. This slide a is retained in forward position and clamps the wire against the stationary die block 81 in its housing 22 so that the arms 93 can be withdrawn to the position in which they are shown in Fig. 3. The other slides 77 thence are moved forwardly in proper sequence to complete the bending operation, the bending preferably proceeding sequentially from the mid-portion of the wire outwardly to the ends thereof so that the bending occurs in an easy, natural manner and does" not produce undesirable stresses in the wire. When the bending operation ascents be substituted by the arms 93.

It is important to note that, while increased power is provided because a substantial mechanical advantage is realized through employment of the levers 68, none of the flexibility or adaptability of the machine is sacrificed For instance, minor inaccuracies in the cams 24 (which need not be precision ground) mightbe compensated for by an adjustment of the screws 64 or in:the flexibility of the bars 53 which also would compensate for wear of the moving parts. Also, because of the flexibility of the mechanism it might be possible to change from the bend ing of wire lengths of one diameter to the bending of wire lengths of a slightly difierent diameter by simplyadjusting the screw 64 to bring more or less pressure to bear on the bars 53. Adjustment of. the housings 21 on the rail 18 and the housings 22 on the rail 19 when the wire is to be bent to different shape is simple and the die 7 blocks 70 and 81 can be quickly replaced. Clearly, the

practice of extensive stockpiling of'certain wire shapes can be avoided and much storage space can be conserved with machines such as the one described wherein a minimum changeover time is required to change from the 'q'uanity production of one wire shape to another.

Because the arms 93 are controlled by the camshaft 25, clearly the wire lengths will always be supplied in proper sequence, andsince the arms 93 are retractable, the wires can simply drop to a disposal conveyor once they are bent toshape. The hopper formed by the sections 84a and. 84b and plates 83 is simple and unique and since the wire lengths aresimply lifted into position between the dies, the problems of overfeed or underfeed which occur with bending machines in which the stockis 'fed' laterally or endwise into position do notoccur. Further, the problem of providing work guides which do not interfere with the operation of the slides 77 even when the housings 22 have to be adjusted on the rails 19 and yet guide the stock all the way down to the dies, such as In all cases, the drawingsand-descriptive text are to be interpreted as merely illustrativof one form of the invention and not as in any way limiting the same since it is to be understood that various equivalent changes may be made in the various elements comprising the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The terminology employed in the claims is to be given the broadest possible interpretation in view of the state of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a wire bending machine, slide housings, slides reciprocable therein, a stationary die in each housing at the front end thereof opposite the slide therein, each housing including a plate on which said slides guide, elongated levers pivotal at the rear ends of said housings for pushing said slides forwardly, pivotal blocks in said housings opposite said'plates for guiding said slides in a linear path however preventing their binding, cam means, reciprocating actuating slides in engagement with the outer ends of said levers, follower mechanism actuating said second mentioned slides in accordance with the configuration of said cams, and resilient means returning all of said mechanism when permitted to do so by said cams.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said pivotal blocks include rounded surfaces adjacent said slides.

:Si-The combination-defined 'intclaim'l in which sta tionary dies are-fixed in said slide housingsopposite said slides, and feed means operated by said cammeans in timed sequence with saidislides feeds wiresv individually from underneath to the space between said diesand die slides. 7 I 4. In a wire bendingmachine; a frame; a longitudinally disposedv support means'thereon; slide housings mounted on said support means and movable longitudinally thereon; means for securing said housings in various longitudinalpositions on said support means; means on said frame'supporting a longitudinally disposed elongate wire opposite said housings; die slides in said housings and dies generally opposite said die slides supported by the frame on the opposite side of said wire; said dies and die slides extendingtransversely to the longitudinally disposed support means and wire with the slides being movable transversely thereto; drive means; and mechanical advantage exerting means individually actuating each of said dieslides in predetermined sequence.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 in which said latter means includes levers pivotally supported by said housings ofi. center with respect to the length thereof.

6. In a wire bending machine: a frame; means having a longitudinally disposed wire: receiving surface supporting an elongate wire to be bent thereon; dies and transversely spaced dieislides'supported on said frame in generally opposing'copl'anar relation on opposite sides of the wire and transversely arranged relative to the length thereof and said surface; drive means; means operated by said drive means'for actuating said transversely spaced slides individually and in sequence to progressively form the wire; means in engagement with'said die slideseii'erting a mechanical advantage employed between said slides and last mentioned means to increase the bending force applied by said slides; said means exerting-a mechanical advantage comprising levers independent of said slides pivotally supported on said frame with one end of each lever in engagement with a'slide and the other in engage ment with said means operated by the drive meansjand pivotal blocks provided for guiding said slides path while preventing their binding.

7. In a wire bending machine; a frame; a longitudinally disposed support means thereon; slide housings mounted on said support means and movable longitudinally thereon; means for securing said housings in various longitudinal positions on said support means; means on said frame for supporting a longitudinally disposed, elongate wire opposite said housings; die slides in said housings and-dies generally opposite said the slides supported by the frame on the opposite side of said wire; said dies and die slides extending transversely to the longitudinally disposed support means and wire with the slides being movable transversely thereto; drive means; mechanical advantage exerting means individually actuating each of said die. slides from said drive means in predetermined "sequence; and a feed member assembly operated from said drive means in timed sequence with said slides for feeding a wire from underneath up between said die slides and dies.

8. In a wire bending machine; a frame; a longitudinally disposed support means thereon; slide housings mounted on said support means and movable longitudinally thereon; means for securing said housings in various longitudinal positions on said support means; means on said frame for supporting a longitudinally disposed, elongate wire opposite said housings; die slides in said housings and dies generally opposite said die slides supported by the frame on the opposite side of said wire; said dies and die slides extending transversely to the longitudinally disposed support'means and wire with the slides being movable transversely thereto; drive means;

mechanical advantage exerting means individually actuating each of said die slides from said drive means in predetermined sequence; and elements controlled by said in a linear 7 drive means and operated in timed sequence with said die slides for supplying lengths of wire between said dies and die slides.

9. In a wire bending machine; a frame; a longitudinally disposed support means thereon; slide houslngs mounted on said support means and movable longitudinally thereon; means for securing said housings in various longitudinal positions on said support means; means on said frame for supporting a longitudinally disposed, elongate wire opposite said housings; die slides in said housings and dies generally opposite said die slides supported by the frame on the opposite side of said wire; said dies and die slides extending transversely to the longitudinally disposed support means and wire with the slides being movable transversely thereto; drive means; mechanical advantage exerting means individually actuating each of said die slides from said drive means in pre determined sequence; sets of aligned, spaced apart plates supported in general parallelism with said slides and defining a wire receiving space between them; and pivotal arms swingable in planes parallel to the vertical planes of said slides for holding a wire in said space and actuated by said drive means to carry a wire length up between said dies and die slides.

10. In a wire bending machine; a frame; a longitudinally disposed support means thereon; slide housings mounted on said support means and movable longitudinally thereon; means for securing said housings in various longitudinal positions on said support means; means on said frame for supporting a longitudinally disposed, elongate wire opposite said housing; die slides in said housings and dies generally opposite said die slides supported by the frame on the opposite side of said wire; said dies and die slides extending transversely to the longitudinally disposed support means and wire with the slides being movable transversely thereto; drive means; mechanical advantage exerting means individually actuating each of said die slides from said drive means; transversely spaced sets of aligned, spaced apart plates mounted on said housings, said spaced apart plates forming a wire receiving hopper therebetween open at the top and bottom, a rock shaft supported by said housings, and actuated by said drive means, wire carrying feed arms rigid on said shaft, and means for said drive means actuating said die slides, and said rock shaft and slides, in timed sequence so that said arms pivot to carry a wire up between said dies and die slides when the slides are withdrawn.

11. In a wire bending machine; a frame; a longitudinally disposed support means thereon; slide housings mounted on said support means and movable longitudinally thereon; means for securing said housings in various longitudinal positions on said support means; means on said frame for supporting a longitudinally disposed, elongate wire opposite said housings; die slides in said housings and dies generally opposite said die slides supported by the frame on the opposite side of said wire; said dies and die slides extending transversely to the longitudinally disposed support means and wire with the slides being movable transversely thereto; drive means; mechanical advantage exerting means individually actuating each of said die slides; a second group of slide housings in coplanar relation in a plane parallel to said die slide housings; slides therein; levers forming said mechanical advantage exerting means pivoted oif center on said die slide housings in engagement at their shorter ends with said die slides and at their other ends with said slides in the second group of housings, support means for said second group of slide housings on which said second group of housings are movable to various longitudinal positions; means for securing said second group of housings in the various positions; and means operated by said drive means moving said slides in the second group of housings in predetermined sequence and pivoting said levers to force said die slides toward said wire with increased bending force.

12. The combination defined in claim 9 in which said arms are hook shaped and have transversely aligned wire receiving notches in the upper arcuate surfaces thereof, said surfaces being of the configuration of the arc traveled by said arms.

13. The combination defined in claim 4 in which said drive means includes cam shaft means; cams thereon configured to operate each of said die slides; individual motion take-off means in engagement with said cams; and mechanical advantage exerting means for each of said die slides in engagement with said motion take-off means and individually actuating each of said die slides in predetermined sequence.

14. The combination defined in claim 13 in which said mechanical advantage exerting means comprises levers for each of said die slides pivotally mounted otf center to receive the motion of said motion take-oil means and transmit it to said die slides.

15. The combination defined in claim 14 in which said die slides are all on the same side of said wire, and said dies are all on the other side thereof and are fixed in stationary position on said frame in transverse alignment with said die slides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 290,433 Jordan Dec. 18, 1883 687,753 Hoefer Dec. 3, 1901 801,449 Ferris Oct. 10, 1905 857,764 Smith June 25, 1907 1,341,589 Rehfuss May 25, 1920 1,532,318 Kisinger Apr. 7, 1925 1,879,464 Pfreimer Sept. 27, 1932 2,145,810 Backer Jan. 31, 1939 2,549,061 I Dauenhauer Apr. 17, 1951 

